Toulouse. Facundo Santucci: “I feel good about this group”
The Toulouse libero, who has the soul of a leader, should still play an important role this season while the Toulouse group has evolved a lot during the summer.
Facundo, how did this recovery go?
Great ! It is an important moment in a season. It’s now that we prepare the bodies and we have to do it as seriously as possible. I’m starting to get used to it now (he smiles).
The group has evolved a lot during the off-season: do you tell yourself that you have a particular role to play in relation to the new ones?
This group, I feel it. We get to know each other but there are good guys. Not everyone has arrived yet but for the moment everything is going very well. Me, I like this role: I remember that I was in the place of these players who discover a new country, a new championship. I know the club well and it is my duty to introduce others to it. It is important to ensure that the adaptation of each other takes place as well as possible.
You will also discover a new trainer: what do you know about him?
I faced him several times but I had never worked with him. It will be different from what “Sapi” was doing (Stéphane Sapinart, former Spacer’s coach, editor’s note). He is a coach with experience. He arrives with his way of working, his way of conceiving the end and the objective is to fully understand his intentions to accelerate the construction of our team as much as possible.
Is the disappointment of the last season completely evacuated?
Those who were here last season need to remember what went wrong to try not to make the same mistakes again. Afterwards, the group is new and it’s up to us to write a new page together. This mix should allow us to have a good season.
What exactly is a good season: the play-offs?
Personally, I don’t want to play play-downs anymore. The goal is to play in the play-offs, yes, but that’s the goal of all the teams (he smiles). It would be rewarding for the club to achieve this. There are very big teams in France but it is up to us to give everything on the floor to show that we will also have to reckon with Toulouse.